BTS’ Albums in Order: Where Was ‘Map of the Soul: 7’ Fit In?

BTS is known for creating iconic eras, corresponding to their music. Map of the Soul: 7, however, wasn’t the first album in the Map of the Soul series. This February 2020 release, however, did give fans songs like “Black Swan’ and “On.”

Here’s what we know about Map of the Soul: 7 and where it fits in the Map of the Soul series from this K-pop group.

BTS released ‘Map of the Soul: 7’ in February 2020

February 2020 brought a few historic moments for BTS, including their performance in Grand Central Terminal in New York City. It also marked the release of the album, Map of the Soul: 7, which featured songs “Black Swan’ and “On.” According to Jin, this album was a “confessional” of the BTS members, revealing a new side of their personalities. 

“[I] learned the importance of what’s actually important and what’s really precious,” V said during an interview with Billboard, of what he’s learned since his debut. “I learned that [BTS] are really important and precious people.” 

“I didn’t know any of these people,” he continued. “But seven, eight years that we’ve been living together, we’ve been together, I’ve learned that these are very important and precious people for me.”

‘Map of the Soul: 7’ was the second album in the ‘Map of the Soul’ series

This February 2020 wasn’t the first album featuring songs like “Boy With Luv” and ‘Mikrokosmos.” In 2019, the group released their mixtape Map of the Soul: Persona, the bubblegum pink antithesis to Map of the Soul: 7.

Prior to the Map of the Soul series, BTS released several song collections with the Love Yourself series, including Love Yourself: Tear and Love Yourself: Answer. It was in conjunction with these albums that BTS launched the Love Myself Campaign, partnering with UNICEF. 

In 2015, they released The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 1 and The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 2. Following Map of the Soul: 7, BTS released another mixtape in 2020. That was the Be (Deluxe Edition.)

BTS recently released ‘Be (Essential Edition)’

After the Map of the Soul world tour was postponed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, BTS released a new song, “Dynamite,” to send a positive message to fans across the globe. Shortly after, the group debuted their album, Be (Deluxe Edition,) featuring “Life Goes On.”

In 2021, the group released another version of Be, this one featuring new photo cards of the members. Technically, Be (Essential Edition) was BTS’ first album of 2021, although fans expect more music in the future. 

The “Life Goes On” music video by BTS is now available for streaming on YouTube. The K-pop group’s deluxe album, titled Be, is available on Spotify, Apple Music, and most major streaming platforms.